The Off-Topic investing challenge!

[Tani Coyote]

What's amusing is apart from Amadeus, this is less a competition of "whom can win the most" vs. "who can lose the least."

Amadeus must have used his full 250K...

 

[amadeus]

Amadeus must have used his full 250K...

Buying Power: $147,572.79

 

[Tani Coyote]

Right, short of you experiencing a massive tanking, I get the strangest feeling everyone's going to fold here soon.

In the stock market, which is normally a long-term game, people make decisions based on short-term occurrences... and like any game, what's the fun if you don't stand a chance?

 

[LucyDuke]

It's been four days.

 

[Tani Coyote]

It's been four days.

Even so! People tend to focus on the near term. This is in fact, what drives the market - a short term panic causes plummets, and short term optimism/greed causes surges.

Remaining aloof from the emotions of fear and greed, is the key to success.

 

[Rashiminos]

Buying Power: $147,572.79

So you have $110k in shorts?

 

[amadeus]

So you have $110k in shorts?

Actually, I'm mostly long on stocks now! I put in stop orders for my shorts on General Motors and a South African ETF, although I may get back in as things are going south in South Africa with talk of mine nationalization and possible credit rating downgrades.

 

[mythmonster2]

Is this game still open for more people to join? I will have no idea what I'm doing, but it sounds like fun!

 

[classical_hero]

Those who waited look smart. Perhaps we should have been shorting rather than buying. It looks like we started this game at the wrong time.

 

[IglooDame]

Stats at the end of the first week:

Game: Great Merchants CIVFANATICS - USD Rankings
Following rankings are as on 8/5/2011 8:43:53 PM

Current Rank 	Previous day 	Account Value 	Today’s change 	Overall%
1. amadeuscfc  		1 	$267,597.79 	+$3,643.72 	+7.04%
2. pob_  		19 	$257,823.23 	+$17,053.84 	+3.13%
3. Algeroth  		10 	$250,105.82 	+$279.17 	+0.04%
4. Tkangaru  		7 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
5. Patroklos  		3 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
6. Kan_Sharuminar  	6 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
7. loppantorkel  		$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
8. bhsup  		8 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
9. SRaina  		2 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
10. akkon888  			$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
11. ludditeRB  		4 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
12. EnglishCrusader  	5 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
13. Gogf  		9 	$250,000.00 	$0.00 		0.00%
14. Skwink  		11 	$249,707.32 	+$73.50 	-0.12%
15. SilurianC  		12 	$249,040.03 	+$584.00 	-0.38%
16. azzaman333  	13 	$247,404.83 	+$1,364.41 	-1.04%
17. TaniciusFox  	14 	$245,835.82 	+$1,361.80 	-1.67%
18. Rashiminos  	15 	$245,296.41 	+$1,196.10 	-1.88%
19. anw  		20 	$243,569.02 	+$3,022.00 	-2.57%
20. really  		17 	$241,678.62 	-$361.80 	-3.33%
21. IglooDude 		16 	$240,718.38 	-$1,623.64 	-3.71%
22. Joecoolyo  		18 	$239,484.26 	-$1,359.82 	-4.21%
23. Zelig  		21 	$238,080.65 	-$1,149.37 	-4.77%
24. classical_hero  	22 	$237,173.28 	-$215.00 	-5.13%
25. Godwynn  		23 	$234,964.66 	-$2,040.20 	-6.01%
26. lucyduke  		25 	$232,168.65 	-$798.96 	-7.13%
27. Mise  		26 	$231,322.50 	-$1,208.98 	-7.47%
28. Theige  		24 	$222,638.49 	-$14,314.70 	-10.94%
29. druidravi  		28 	$222,051.04 	-$2,036.18 	-11.18%
30. Hygro  		27 	$219,286.50 	-$6,465.84 	-12.29%

 

[Loppan Torkel]

7th place and looking pritty smart

 

[classical_hero]

You are certainly a savvy investor.

 

[Tani Coyote]

I feel bad for Hygro! He was eaten alive.

Then again, it seems the financially-oriented CFCers(Godwynn, Mise, Hygro, etc.) seem to primarily be at the bottom. I think they put in far more of their money, and as a result, took massive losses.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Heh, does that mean I'm financially savvy Tanicius?

 

[IglooDame]

7th place and looking pritty smart

And really, tied for fourth place.

 

[Mise]

I feel bad for Hygro! He was eaten alive.

Then again, it seems the financially-oriented CFCers(Godwynn, Mise, Hygro, etc.) seem to primarily be at the bottom. I think they put in far more of their money, and as a result, took massive losses.

Yeah, I put the whole $250k in on the first day. Like you say, I suspect most people only put $100k or less so didn't take such massive losses.

Anyway I'd be happy if I beat the S&P500. Sadly I'm nowhere near it

 

[classical_hero]

I still have about $30,000 in cash that if the markets are still in free-fall I might try and us to short the market. Something that I doubt i will ever use in real life.

 

[Rashiminos]

Congratulations to pob_ on making the most out of Friday's festivities.

 

[pob]

Congratulations to pob_ on making the most out of Friday's festivities.

Thanks, I think after making big mistakes on my first day on Thursday, I got to grips with things yesterday. Now all I need is some money so I can do this for real

 

[Azash]

Well, I suppose it would be a good place to learn. Going to join up later today.